The Xavier Institute in Westchester was abuzz with lively chatter...
The young students whispered among themselves, discussing the news of Professor X's push for the Mutant Registration Act and his heartfelt speech on the White House lawn.
Faced with impending changes, these fledgling mutants felt both lost and faintly hopeful about the future.
"Bobby, do you think the Professor will kick us out?" Pyro (John) lay sprawled across a table, restless as a coiled spring.
The rebellious young man was the school's notorious troublemaker, the polar opposite of the reserved and steady Iceman (Bobby Drake).
Surprisingly, the two had become good friends...
"Of course not. Ms. Grey already said we can choose freely... the school won't force anyone out." Bobby's voice was muffled, his emotions tangled.
Life at the school wasn't bad, but he longed to return to his warm family, to be with his loved ones.
He had come all the way from Boston to New York, hiding under the Professor's protection to escape persecution for his mutant identity.
"So what are you gonna do?" John asked eagerly, "I secretly asked Colossus... he wants to join Mr. Cyphers' Umbrella Security Team. Rumor has it that if you perform well, you can make six hundred grand a year… Jesus! A few years of that, and you could buy a small apartment in Manhattan!"
Pyro chattered like an unstoppable sparrow, while Bobby propped his chin on his hand, his thoughts in disarray. Unlike John, he had come to the school out of fear... fear of his family's judgment if they discovered he was a mutant.
If he really followed the Professor's advice and stepped forward to declare himself a mutant, how would his family in Boston react?
Bobby was terrified of the unknown. Sure, he could land a coveted job at Umbrella or Oscorp, or even secure a prestigious recommendation to a top university. But the potential cost outweighed the benefits in his mind.
The introverted boy turned his gaze to Rogue, who was slumped over her desk, exuding youthful lethargy.
"Marie…" Bobby hesitated before tapping her desk, "Are you planning to leave the school?"
Rogue flinched at first, then relaxed when she saw it was Bobby. Due to her dangerous powers, she always kept herself covered, avoiding physical contact with anyone.
"I haven't decided yet. But I'm thinking of trying my luck at Mr. Cyphers' Umbrella. Maybe he can help me with… some problems." She remembered the young man's words to her last time and felt she should take a chance...
Things couldn't get worse than they were now. Even if society rejected her, she could always return to the school.
Bobby hummed in response, then glanced back at the excited John, who was already daydreaming about joining the Umbrella Security Team, fighting alongside soldiers, and returning covered in glory.
Everyone but him seemed to have made up their minds. The young boy sighed, his youthful brow furrowed with worry.
However, Bobby wasn't the only one grappling with such dilemmas. Cyclops (Scott Summers) was equally troubled...
"I don't understand why the Professor trusts that shady outsider so much," Scott grumbled to his girlfriend like an ill-tempered child, "Sean Cyphers... he used to work with Stryker! Expecting someone like that to help us out of the goodness of his heart is a pipe dream!"
"The Professor wouldn't harm us. What are you so worried about, Scott?" Jean Grey ran a hand through her long red hair, her tone indifferent.
Her boyfriend sometimes acted like a spoiled child... He was stubbornly hostile toward Sean and humans in general. He just wanted to hide at the school, living his life without rocking the boat.
"I think that Cyphers bastard has brainwashed him," Scott said gravely...
He would never doubt the Professor, who was like a father to him.
Cyclops had tried advising the Professor against trusting Sean, warning that the man was an unknown variable. But the bald elder always brushed it off with a smile, as if he and that bastard shared some unspoken understanding.
This infuriated Scott...
As the Professor's chosen successor among the younger X-Men, he had always been groomed for leadership. Storm (Ororo) lacked the ambition, Wolverine (Logan) was a drifter, and Beast (Hank), despite his seniority, had become a liaison between mutants and the government.
By all rights, Scott was the obvious choice... He was capable, trusted, and admired by the Professor.
But everything had changed with Sean's arrival. The Professor had abandoned his long-held stance... He now collaborated with human governments, a move Scott saw as suicidal, a betrayal of mutantkind's future.
"He must have used some kind of trick on the Professor," Cyclops fumed inwardly.
"Who could possibly deceive the world's most powerful telepath?" Jean replied dismissively.
As her fusion with the Phoenix Force deepened, Jean was increasingly influenced by her alternate persona. The elegant facade masked a wild untamed core... one day, the two would merge completely.
Scott had hoped for sympathy from his girlfriend, but her indifference only frustrated him further. His eyes lingered on Jean's form-fitting red dress, a flicker of infatuation crossing his face as he moved closer.
The red-haired woman sidestepped smoothly, evading his advance as if by accident.
"What's wrong?" Scott asked, baffled.
This wasn't the first time Jean had dodged his affections.
"I have a headache. I'm not feeling well," Jean apologized softly.
Scott paused. He knew Jean had been spacing out lately... the Professor had blamed it on childhood trauma, offering vague explanations whenever pressed.
"It's about to rain. Are you still going out?" Cyclops asked as Jean slipped on a black coat.
"The agreement with the White House includes a mutant liaison center in Manhattan, which will be managed by Hank. I need to prepare some documents." Jean explained, her tone calm.
She glanced at her despondent boyfriend and added gently, "I also have to get my hair done. I probably won't be back tonight."